OTTAWA—Andrew Scheer is taking aim at China and Russia in his first major foreign policy speech, while advancing cautious criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump for pulling back from traditional alliances in a new era of “Great Power” rivalry. In a speech in Montreal today, Scheer will lay out the broad strokes of a Conservative foreign policy under his leadership. A copy of his prepared remarks, obtained by the Star, calls for a “total reset” of the Canada-China relationship — and says Canada should not expand trade with the growing superpower until that reset is secured. “So long as China is willing to hold our exports hostage, all the while committing human rights violations on an industrial scale, we have no choice as Canadians but consider other trade partners,” Scheer’s remarks read. “This relationship needs a total reset. Nothing can happen until such time.” The Conservative leader will vow to launch a complaint with the World Trade Organization over Chinese trade “blockades,” and pull out Canada’s contribution to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Read more: Scheer government would seek to join U.S. missile defence program Opinion | Heather Scoffield: Andrew Scheer will balance pro-Trump and pro-trade Everything you need to know before Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou returns to court Wednesday It’s a sharp contrast to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s early attempts to warm Chinese-Canadian relations — a relationship that has been severely strained by the Canadian arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and the seemingly retaliatory trade actions by Beijing and “arbitrary” arrest of two Canadian nationals by Chinese authorities. A Scheer-led Conservative government would also begin talks with the Trump administration to join a continental missile defence program, part of a plan to “reinvigorate” existing security alliances with the Five Eyes countries — the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Scheer will list the emergence of Chinese dominance, along with Russia “rediscovering” its Cold War mentality under Vladimir Putin and Islamist-inspired extremism as the three biggest foreign threats to Canadian security and prosperity. He’ll level harsh criticism of how Trudeau has handled foreign files, referencing Trudeau’s disastrous India trip, criticizing how the Liberal government handled the NAFTA renegotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, “We have seen serious mistakes … over and over from this government, and they are almost always attributable to Mr. Trudeau’s domestic politics or his thirst for the limelight,” Scheer plans to say, accusing the prime minister of having an “unseriousness” in foreign policy. “For him, the world is a stage, and the rest of us merely players in his act.” Scheer’s speech is the first in a planned five-part rollout of his “vision for Canada” — not quite the Conservative platform, but the broad strokes of where the Conservative leader wants to take the country on matters like immigration, the economy, federal-provincial relations and the environment. Since becoming leader in 2017, Scheer has put little specific policy in the window for Canadian voters. That’s led to criticism from the governing Liberals that Scheer lacks a plan, particularly on the environment. On Russia, Scheer said the Kremlin is hearkening back to the country’s imperialist era. “Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to act with impunity when it comes to his military adventurism,” Scheer’s remarks read. “While today he is occupying Ukraine, tomorrow it could be Canada’s Arctic waters.” But Scheer also offered some mild criticism for Trump’s administration. “Without a doubt, relations with the current administration have been challenging for all world leaders. The current president has reversed decades of established American foreign policy, particularly when it comes to America’s alliances,” Scheer’s remarks read. “Regardless, the Canada-U.S. relationship will endure. We cannot allow personality to trump the bond between our two countries. Justin Trudeau has on too many occasions put his partisan political goals ahead of managing this relationship upon which so many Canadian jobs depend.” While criticizing Trudeau and his government on his handling of NAFTA renegotiations, Scheer does not indicate how he would have managed the file differently. The speech also keeps the criticism focused on Trudeau — rather than his global affairs minister, Chrystia Freeland, broadly seen as a strong performer in the Liberal cabinet. “We live in a world where the forces against liberty and individual freedoms are gaining. These pervasive ideologies must always be confronted because the results are painful, and inevitable. The innermost wants, needs, and even thoughts of vulnerable individuals are suppressed by force,” Scheer’s remarks read. “In the 20th century, liberty was confronted by the poisonous ideologies of communism and fascism. In the 21st century, while the threats against liberty go by different names, they are no less insidious.” “We must be honest with ourselves about the threats we face,” the speech concludes. “It’s why we must unite the forces of democracy and freedom across the globe to confront threats with greater resolve than those who pose them. And we must be ready to do our part, to back up our strength of our values with the strength of our forces.” Alex Boutilier is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics. Follow him on Twitter: @alexboutilier |